A hattrick from inform Orlando City attacking midfielder Kevin Molino helped Trinidad and Tobago to a convincing 6-1 victory over Dominican Republic in it's opening fixture of the 2014 Caribbean Cup at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Trinidad.

Coming off a goalscoring record breaking season with Orlando, Molino form continued at the international stage when he notched his first ever hattrick at this level in the 3rd, 4th and 25th minutes respectively.

Cardiff City striker and T&T captain Kenwyne Jones, who has also been racking up the goals for his club since the beginning of the season also got on the score-sheet when he registered a double in the 40th and 55th minute.

Then second half substitute Trevin Caesar scored in minute 77 to see off the Spainsh-speaking islanders and in the process scored his first international goal for his country at senior level.

Despite being out-shot and out scored, Dominican Republic did manage to score a late consolation when former W Connection striker Jonathan Faña slipped one pass his former Connection teammate Jan-Michael Williams in the 88th minute to save face for his side.

Coach Hart told SWO that, "We wanted to control the tempo of the game and attack with variety. We did just that, scored early, and then from that point we were in total control of the game, Hart added."

T&T will now meet St Lucia tomorrow at the Ato Boldon Stadium from 8:15pm while Antigua will entertain Dominican Republic two hours earlier.

Except for two years ago when they threatened an upset at the Caribbean Cup final, Trinidad and Tobago men’s national footballers have generally had an easy time against the Dominican Republic.

So, it was business as usual on Wednesday night, as the Soca Warriors began their campaign to book a spot in next month’s Caribbean Cup final, with a comprehensive 6-1 victory over their Spanish-speaking opponents. before an official figure of 1,200 paying spectators in the opening match of their Group Seven semi-final series at Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.

Another win tonight against St Lucia, will almost certainly assure the Stephen Hart-coached side a trip to Montego, Bay Jamaica for the eight-team 2014 finals from November 9-19.

The top two teams from three semi-final series advance to the finals along with hosts Jamaica and champions Cuba.

In-form USA-based midfielder Kevin Molino netted a first half hat-trick, and Cardiff City striker Kenwyne Jones got another as the 2012 Caribbean Cup runners-up ended the first half in commanding with a four-goal lead. Captain Jones added a second goal, and USA-based striker Trevin Caesar got the other. Caesar also spanked a terrific shot off the crossbar in the dying seconds.

Wednesday’s dominant showing was reminiscent of a 9-0 victory in 2008, when both Jason Scotland and Cornell Glen netted hat-tricks.

The only “trickster” this time though was known dribbler Molino, recently named MVP in the second tier of USA pro football. The former Mucurapo Secondary player gave T&T an early spark with two headed goals, before completing his hat-trick in the 25th minute with a skilled piece of finishing, when placing a low shot on the wrong side of the advancing DR goalkeeper, former W Connection man Miguel Lloyd.

Lester Peltier, the 26-year-old Slovan Bratislava (Slovenia) winger provided the first two goals, and a night’s headache for the Dominican Republic defenders, before going off with a slight injury.

Molino was quickest to react, when defender Jose Ruiz inadvertently put the ball onto his team’s crossbar when trying to cut out Peltier’s in-bound cross. Molino dived in and scored in the third minute, and struck a minute later with a second header, this time low onto another teasing cross from Peltier. T&T head coach Hart was well-pleased with the early work.

“We started well and I think that did two things. It put them under immediate pressure because I think they are a better team than what we saw,” Hart said. “It allowed us to settle down a bit because we were not really in our rhythm both offensively and defensively.”

Hart used Joevin Jones at left-back, Carlyle Mitchell and Sheldon Bateau in the middle positions and Daneil Cyrus at right back, while Jan-Michael Williams manned the goal.

Further ahead, England-born Andre Boucaud and Belgium-based midfielder Khaleem Hyland controlled central midfield, with Peltier at right wide midfield and Vietnam-based Hughton Hector returning to the national team after two years at left-midfield.

Jones was the point striker, with Molino floating just between his captain and the midfielders.

Jones--who later spoke of T&T dominating Caribbean teams-- had two glaring first-half misses, but put away a pair of easy walk-in goals as well.

Jones broke the bogey to give T&T a 4-0 lead in the 41st minute when Molino unselfishly fed him an inside pass, and scored into an open net.

Jones was presented with another open net, this time from Hector’s inside pass, taking the score to 5-0 in the 56th minute.

Hector set up a sixth T&T goal for second half substitute Trevin Caesar to roll home in the 76th minute, before a poor defensive pass allowed Jonathan Frias, the general in the Dominican Republic team, a consolation item in the 88th minute.

Dominican Republic coach Clemente Domingo described T&T as “very good”, but expects positive change when his team meets Antigua and Barbuda in their second match tonight.

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Soca Warriors eye CFU finals spot.By Nigel Simon (Guardian).

Boosted by its 6-1 thrashing of Dominican Republic on Wednesday, this country’s Soca Warriors will look to secure an early spot in next month’s 18th Caribbean Football Union Cup Finals in Montego, Bay, Jamaica, when they meet St Lucia in their second Group Seven semifinal round match at Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, from 8.15 pm.

Both teams will enter the match with three points each, but the Stephen Hart-coached Soca Warriors will be ahead in goal-difference after Antigua & Barbuda, the world top ranked CFU team, came from behind to register a last gasp 2-1 win over St Lucia in the first match on Wednesday at the same venue.

W Connection midfielder Kurt Frederick handed St Lucia a 1-0 lead in the 42nd but Keiran Mutajh drew Antigua & Barbuda even in the 66th before Joshua Parker scored the winner two minutes into injury time.

When Cardiff City striker Kenwyne Jones and his fellow Soca Warriors take to the field on Sunday they will also be seeking to avenge a 2-0 loss to their opponents, suffered in the 2012 finals at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

A win for either team will put them on maximum six points ahead of Sunday’s final round of matches. Antigua and Barbuda will face Dominican Republic from 6pm and T&T will be up against St Lucia from 8.15pm today. The top two teams will qualify for the eight-team final in Jamaica from which the top four would advance to next year’s Concacaf Gold Cup.

On Wednesday night, Orlando City striker Kevin Molino got the Soca Warriors off to an astonishing start with two well taken goals from pint-point Lester Peltier right sided centres from which Dominican Republic never recovered.

Molino made it a hattrick in the 25th while capatin Kenwyne Jones (40th, 55th) and Trevin Caesar (77th) combined for the rout. Johnathan Fana Frias got Dominican Republic’s consolation in the 88th minute.

Molino side footed home from inside the six-yard box from a Peltier cross after only three minutes and two minutes later he stooped low to head home another decisive centre.

Molino completed his first international hat-trick for T&T by latching on to a long ball from Vancouver Whitecaps defender Carlyle Mitchell, and easily tapping past the former W Connection goalkeeper, Miguel Lloyd to make it 3-0.

That was the last bit of action for Peltier who sustained a leg injury and was replaced by Cordell Cato.

Five minutes before the break, Jones finally converted for T&T to lead 4-0 at the half.

Jones added his second in the 55th while USA-based speedy striker Trevin Caesar, who replaced Molino in the 61st added his name to the list of scorers in the 77th, his first in national colours.

At the end of each group, the top two teams will advance to the eight-team finals in Montego Bay, Jamaica from November 10-18.

Host and five-time champion Jamaica, and defending champion Cuba have already qualified for the finals from which the top four teams would qualify for next year’s Concacaf Gold Cup .

When Kevin Molino startled the crowd with two quick goals in the first four minutes, he had certainly awakened the speculative fans and sent a direct message that he and his players were ready to take the next step forward.

All the pregame discussions regarding the four players in the Dominican Republic squad who were plying their trade with the Real Madrid and other teams in Spain seemed to have gotten lost in a short space of time.

Molino reiterated that his brilliance in the USL for Orlando City was not by accident but by his absolute natural talent and professional attitude which will ultimately allow him to achieve his goals.

Surely, the players around him seemed to have learnt from their experiences by playing in various countries across the globe and the gelling with the local lads was exciting.

Despite the dream start, there appeared a slight form of complacency, especially at the defense-line where sloppy and inaccurate passing, especially from Khaleem Hyland on two occasions, very nearly brought some life to the opposition.

Thankfully, they were too heart-broken to capitalise upon two easy opportunities which could have brought some sanity to their effort.

But suddenly, the warriors started with a pattern of play which was clearly planned by a furious attack along the flanks where Lester Peltier, Hughtun Hector, and Daneil Cyrus, initiated the success of which invited some simple goal-scoring opportunities for Molino, who grabbed them with spectacular precision, and also for skipper Kenwyne Jones who made up for a couple of easy misses by adding his name to the list of goal scorers twice.

Maybe the most essential duty for Kenwyne was his ability to challenge the aerial distributions from the keeper and the central defense. He flicked almost every lofted pass towards the flanks for the creation of these lightning fast journeys for the speed of Peltier and Cyrus to produce the goals.

From a 4-0 first half to a 6-1 at the final whistle, tells the story of a reduction in quality play because of the warriors’ lethargy and over confidence. They saw the visitors take the initiative and kept possession regularly, if not progressively, and sometimes appear to create the half chances which were not well concluded.

It was very apparent that the styles of Hyland and Boucaud bore similarity in the manner of deep lying midfielders and this may well have caused some shortage of creativity among the attacking midfielders.

Thankfully both Hector and Molino demonstrated excellent work rate and literally took the opposition apart technically and mentally.

While we can be proud of the huge gaps in quality play between our team and the visitors, we must refer to their nonchalance in the second half, which saw vulnerability in defense and a lower level of competence in attack.

Our next challenge is to improve consistency for 90 minutes plus, as we will certainly face better opposition as we climb the ladder of progress.

I have not placed too much relevance to the result in this competition, but the score lines must reflect the superiority of the Warriors in the Caribbean.